The ZTE Zmax 2 is an affordable phablet for AT&T prepaid customers, but you can get significantly better hardware and performance for a bit more money.

The ZTE Zmax 2 is the most affordable phablet in AT&T's prepaid GoPhone lineup. With its only other GoPhone rivals being the Asus ZenFone 2E and the HTC Desire 626, the Zmax 2 (16GB; $129.99) is a solid choice, offering a nice design, a close-to-stock build of Android, and expandable storage. But if you're willing to go unlocked and bring your own device, the Zmax 2 faces much stiffer competition from the Asus ZenFone 2 Laser and the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 5.5. These phones cost a bit more, but get you significantly better hardware and performance for your money.

Design, Display, and FeaturesThe ZTE Zmax 2 embraces its plastic build with a pleasantly grippy soft-touch dimpled back that feels durable. It's a bit like the Samsung Galaxy S5, but the dimples aren't quite as bandage-like. The Zmax 2 measures 6.0 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 6 ounces, close to the ZenFone 2 Laser (6.0 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches; 6 ounces), and slightly thicker and heavier than the Idol 3 (6.0 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches; 5 ounces).

Like the Laser, the Zmax 2 has a faux-metal edge and capacitive buttons. The power button and volume rocker are both on the right side, with the 3.5mm audio jack up top, the micro USB charging port on the bottom, and dual speakers on the back. The phone is reasonably attractive, though the Idol 3 is sleeker, lighter, and classier.

The phone's back can be peeled off to give you access to the removable battery, SIM card slot, and microSD card slot. We were able to use a 200GB SanDisk card with the Zmax 2, which means storage isn't an issue. The same goes for the Laser 2, while the Idol 3 has expandable storage but no removable battery.

The 5.5-inch display on the Zmax 2 is a 1,280-by-720 TFT LCD with 267 pixels per inch. This is less crisp than the 1080p screen found on the Laser and the Idol 3, with inferior viewing angles. When looking at the Zmax 2 from the side or under direct sunlight, the display looks washed out. The Laser's screen has some brightness issues, but it's sharp and well within the realm of usability. The Idol 3's display, meanwhile, is superior in color, depth, contrast, and viewing angle.

Network Performance and AudioThe Zmax 2 is available unlocked, but I tested the AT&T model with GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz), UMTS (850/1900/AWS), and LTE (2/4/5/17) bands. Connectivity throughout midtown Manhattan showed strong 4G LTE download and upload speeds. Indoor connectivity was also strong due to the presence of Band 17.

802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are present, but there's no NFC or dual-band Wi-Fi. That's not uncommon for phones in this price range, but the Idol 3 has both, and with them comes the ability to use Android Pay and better overall Wi-Fi performance.

Call quality and earpiece volume are excellent. Voices come across clearly, a with natural tone. Noise cancellation successfully dampens background noise, making it possible to carry out a conversation in a loud or crowded environment.

The dual back-facing speakers don't get very loud, but they manage to avoid the tininess and lack of depth that normally plagues budget phones, thanks to the presence of Dolby Digital Plus audio. Sound quality is also satisfying on wired and Bluetooth headsets.

Processor, Battery, and CameraUnder the hood, the Zmax 2 packs a Snapdragon 410 processor, which is common on smaller devices like the Moto G, but not what you'd expect to find powering a phablet. The Laser and Idol 3, by contrast, both have a faster Snapdragon 615 processor. This is reflected in our benchmark tests: The Zmax 2 scored 21,463 on the AnTuTu, short of both the Idol 3 (28,990) and the Laser (37,783).

The Zmax 2's 2GB of RAM is sufficient for general multitasking and I didn't experience any noticeable instances of lag, but it's possible to hit the memory usage limit when running a ton of apps. Games like Asphalt 8 and even Assassin's Creed Pirates are playable on the phone's Adreno 306 GPU, albeit at lower resolutions, but even then I encountered some control sluggishness and dropped frames.

Battery life is average for a phone with a 3,000mAh battery and a 720p display. It lasted 5 hours, 33 minutes in our battery rundown test, in which we stream full-screen video over LTE at maximum brightness.

Camera quality is below average. In well-lit shots, pictures often look hazy and have soft edges. The autofocus and auto exposure struggle to accommodate movement and changes in lighting, resulting in blurry or washed out shots. The camera takes photos quickly, though there's no notification in the Camera app that a picture has actually been saved to the phone's storage, which is confusing. The camera is also capable of 1080p video at 30 fps, but you often need to tap the screen to focus while recording, which leads to jerkiness. Images from the 2-megapixel selfie camera are grainy.

Software and ConclusionsThe Zmax 2 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop, and the UI changes are refreshingly light. You get 8.41GB of free storage out of the box, with the rest being taken up by the operating system and some bloatware from AT&T. The app icons are standard Lollipop, and everything looks to be pretty close to stock, except for one thing: Instead of swiping on the lock screen, which is standard on just about every other Android device in existence, the Zmax 2 requires you to press and hold your finger on the screen. You get used to it, but I spent more time swiping helplessly at the lock screen then I care to admit. That aside, fans of stock Android will be relatively pleased.

With a good design and a low price, the Zmax 2 stands out against other prepaid phones on AT&T in terms of price and performance. However, the unlocked ZenFone 2 Laser and the One Touch Idol 3 offer more powerful processors, higher-resolution displays, and better cameras than the Zmax 2, and $70 seems like a small price to pay for these improvements. Alternatively, you can spend even less and pick up a Moto E, though it is decidedly not a phablet.

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About the Author

Ajay Kumar is PCMag's Analyst obsessed with all things mobile. Ajay reviews phones, tablets, accessories, and just about any other gadget that can be carried around with you. In his spare time he games on the rig he built himself, collects Nintendo amiibos, and tries his hand at publishing a novel. Follow Ajay on Twitter @Ajay_H_Kumar.

ZTE Zmax 2 (AT&T)

ZTE Zmax 2 (AT&T)

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